Plaiting device



Nov. 28, 1933- M. HAMILTON ET AL PLAITING DEVICE Filed Oct. 15, 1930 -27 InvenloYS:

HJW

Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PLAITING DEVICE Mary Hamilton and Gerald John Sutton, London, England; said Sutton assignor to said Mary Hamilton Application October 13,

and in France 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for producin plaits in textile material by relative movement between the device and the material in the direction of the length of the plaits and more j particularly to devices of the character described in the specification of our prior patent No. 1,797,340.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved plaiting device of this character which will produce more uniform and consistent plaits. A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will be cheap to manufacture and which is simpler in operation and adjustment.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, a preferred example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan, looking from above, of the under part of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan, looking from below, of the upper part of the device.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the saw-gate.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device attached to a flat iron, parts of the device being broken away, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the device with certain parts removed. I

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The two portions of the device are indicated generally by the reference numerals and 11. The lower part 10 consists simply of a plate of sheet material which at its forward end, in the direction of movement of the device with respect to the material, is bent upwardly to afford an abutment 12 having a roundededge 13 (as shown in Figure 4). The sides of the part 10 are bent upwardly and shaped to constitute guiding fins 14. A third guiding fin 15 is attached to the plate in the middle by means of rivets 16. The upper part 11 comprises a casing 1'7 formed with a top and two sides of sheet metal. Half way down each side the material is bent to afford on its inner side a groove 27 for the reception of a flat plate 18 which can be slid into the casing from its forward end. The plate 18 carries two strip guides 19 attached to it obliquely as shown in Figure 2 and bent as shown in Figure 4. The sides of the casing 17 have at their lower edges projections 20 which are bent into a plane parallel with that of the plate 18. Rearwardly of the strips 19 the sides of the casing 17 are bent outwardly and then inwardly at their lower edge to afford a groove 21 for the reception of a sawgate 22. This saw-gate, as shown in Figure 3,

1930, Serial No. 488,520, October 22, 1929 consists of a rectangular plate, one half of which is bent at right angles to the other half, and each half of which has in it parallel slots 23, 24 extending from its margin in a direction oblique to the margin. The slots 23 in one half of the saw-gate are in the opposite direction to the slots 24 in the other half, and thus when one half is received in the channels 21 and the slots in the other half are operative the plaits will be turned in one direction, whereas when the saw-gate is inserted" the other way round, the plaits will be turned in the opposite direction.

In Figure 4 the device is shown attached to a specially constructed fiat iron 25 by means of an extension 28 of the top of the casing 1'7. The extension 28 is clamped between the handle and. the body of the iron by means of one of the bolts which hold the handle in position. Parts of the sides of the casing 17 embrace the nose of the iron. If preferred, however, it may be shaped for attachment to an existing iron of any ordinary shape. I

The operation of the device is as follows:

Thevpart 10 is placed underneath the material to be plaited on a fiat surface, the part 11 is then located on top of the material in such a position that the fins 14 and 15 project upwardly in thespacesbetween the strips 19 and the projections 20. The part 11 is then pushed forward over the material by means of the iron 25. The forward end 26 of the plate 18 presses through the interposed material on the forward end 13 of the part 10 and thus moves the part 10 along underneath the material. The material passes between the edges 13 and 26 and beneath the strips 19. As the material passes down thestrips 19 folds are formed between and on eitherside of the strips by means of the fins 14 and 15. As the material passes along thefins the folds become closer together and are thus permitted to become deeper. On leaving the fins 14 and 15 the material is obliged to pass beneath the sawgate 22 but the folds of material pass through the slots 23 or 24 and are over-turned thereby on to the surface of the material after which the fold is pressed by the fiat iron into a fiat plait.

It will be appreciated that the number of slots and guides may be altered as desired and a plurality of saw-gates having different numbers of slots may be provided, with a plurality of plates 18 and parts 10 constructed to produce a corresponding number of plaits. In an extreme example the parts may be constructed for the production of only one plait at a time.

We claim:

1. A device of the character described for producing plaits in textile material comprising in combination two independent parts which have no mechanical connection with each other which are to be applied respectively to opposite sides of the material, movement of one part relative to the material being produced by the pressure of the other part acting on it through the material, guide members on each part adapted on application of said parts to the material to intercalate one with the other to produce during relative movement of said device and the material an upstanding fold of material, adjacent guides being convergent from the forward to the rear end and the guides on at least one of said parts increasing in depth from the forward to the rear end of said part, a slotted member having slots corresponding in number to said guides mounted at the rear edge of one of said parts said slotted member having two operative faces either of which can be employed one at a time and whereof one face has slots inclined in one direction across the line of relative movement in order to overturn the folds on to one side and the other face has oppositely inclined slots which operate to turn folds over on to the other side, means provided in one part to hold the slotted member in position by one face thereof, while the other face is operative on the material, and means secured to one of said parts to press the folds into a flat plait after they have been overturned.

2. A device of the character described for producing plaits in textile material comprising in combination two independent parts which have no mechanical connection with each other which are to be applied respectively to opposite sides of the material, movement of one part relative to the material being produced by the pressure of the other part acting on it through the material, one of said parts comprising a holder, a plait forming element removably mounted in said holder thereby adapting said part to receive various kinds and sizes of plait forming elements, guide members on the other of said parts adapted on application of said parts to the material to intercalate with the said plait forming elements to produce during relative movement of said device and the material an upstanding fold of material, adjacent guides being convergent from the forward to the rear end and the guides on at least one of said parts increasing in depth from the forward to the rear end of said part, means operative during said relative movement to overturn the upstanding fold on to or towards the surface of the material, and means secured to one of saidparts to press the folds into a fiat plait after they have been overturned.

3. A device of the character described for producing plaits in textile material comprising in combination two independent parts which have no mechanical connection with each other which are to be applied respectively to opposite sides of the material, movement of one part relative to the material being produced by the pressure of the other part acting on it through the material, one of said parts comprising a holder, plait forming guides removably mounted in said holder thereby adapting said part to receive various kinds and sizes of plait forming guides, guide members on the other of said parts adapted on application of said parts to the material to intercalate with said plait forming guides to produce during relative movement of said device and the material, an upstanding fold of material, adjacent guides being convergent from the forward to the rear end and the guides on at least one of said parts increasing in depth from the forward to the rear end of said part, a slotted member having slots corresponding in number to said guides removably mounted at the rear edge of one of said parts, said slots being inclined so as to overturn the upstanding fold on to or towards the surface of the material during said relative movement, said slotted member having two operative faces either of which can be employed one at a time and whereof one face has slots inclined in one direction across the line of said relative movement in order to overturn the folds on to one side and the other face has oppositely inclined slots which operate to turn the folds over on to the other side, means provided in one part to hold the slotted member in position by one face thereof while the other face is operative on the material, and means for mounting one of said parts on a flat iron.

MARY HAMILTON. GERALD JOHN SUTTON. 

